Call for public consultation over bin collections blocked

A move by the SNP Group at North Lanarkshire Council to call for a public consultation on changes to bin collections has been blocked.

The Policy and Resources Committee yesterday (Wednesday) approved changes which will see food and garden waste will be collected in a single bin, collected fortnightly, with other bins for: paper and card; glass, metal and plastic; and residual waste each being collected on a three-weekly cycle.

SNP Group leader David Stocks moved for a public consultation, which he claimed was promised two years ago, but this was defeated by 12 votes to six.

He said: “This council agreed to hold a public consultation on wheelie bin changes back in 2015, this promise has been blatantly ignored.

“North Lanarkshire residents are being treated with contempt by the Labour party and their Tory backers.

“The reality is that Labour dodged this public consultation undertaking because it was too near election times in 2016 and 2017. They shirked their duty to the people.”

Seconding the motion Councillor Alan Stubbs added: “Councillor Jim Logue, categorically and publicly, promised in April, during the local elections, that there would be no change to bin collection cycles and that changes to a three-week uplift schedule would not happen.

“Now, at the first opportunity after the election, a 15-page Council Waste Report appears two days before the committee meeting and Councillor Logue backs a three-week collection cycle for residual waste bins.”